Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei has said that the sports sanctions [against Russia] after the war in Ukraine did prove that the West crosses its red lines easily wherever their interests require.

But, they fuss about why “our athlete” withdraws from competition against a rival from the Zionist regime of ‘Israel’, the Supreme Leader said in a meeting held on September 11 with officials in charge of holding a congress in commemoration of the martyrdom of athletes.

The remarks of Ayatollah Khamenei were published in the congress this morning (October 10).

It is really a victory when our athlete does not compete with his/her rival from the Zionist regime and then he/she is deprived of the medal, the Leader said, adding that facing a rival from the occupying regime means that such a regime which is the killer of the children is being recognized.

Attending a competition with a Zionist regime is actually sacrificing ethical victory for a technical triumph, the Supreme Leader underlined.

Sports sanctions after the war in Ukraine made the arrogant powers and their followers’ claim on non-politicization of sports fade away, he stressed.

In the issue of war in Ukraine, they imposed sanctions on some countries just for political reasons, Ayatollah Khamenei stated.

At the end of his remarks, the Leader advised the athletes and the officials not to let the sports be turned into a bridge for Western culture as the Westerners have been trying to enter their culture with the help of new sports.

Source: Iranian media (edited by Al-Manar English Website)